


How To Be a Superhero

by spacedaddy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, beginner superheroes, but it's hardly there trust me, chat noir is a clumsy dork, marinette has no idea what she's doing, neither does adrien, no identity reveal, some itty bitty violence, strangers to friends/kinda flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-18 12:17:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5928043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacedaddy/pseuds/spacedaddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a hard thing to deal with when you're told "magic isn't real" as a child, but what's even harder to deal with is when a little red fairy thing comes and tells you it actually <i>is</i> real and now you have to use that magic to defend Paris from an evil guy with evil butterflies. Oh, and there's also this strange cat boy who tells bad jokes too. But every story has a beginning, it's just that Marinette's was...a bit shakier than others.</p><p>psa: this fic was written before the origins episodes were aired and kicked my fic into the gutter</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hard To Grasp

**Author's Note:**

> Incase you didn't read the little disclaimer in the description, here it is again:
> 
> psa: this fic was written before the origins episodes were aired and kicked my fic into the gutter

It had only been a little while since Marinette became the miraculous Ladybug that Paris soon would come to love and adore, and she quickly learned that every new adventure has a shaky beginning. Marinette found that she was no exception to this and discovered that one of the many struggles of being a new superhero was that you’d have to get used to your super suit.

Tikki had made it a point to tell Marinette at the start that she was to familiarise herself with the suit and her yo-yo in order to be prepared for when she’d fight bad guys. “To avoid any casualties or wardrobe malfunctions” as Tikki had put it. However, the peculiar feeling of the Ladybug suit still felt odd to Marinette.

Even though Marinette wasn’t the _most_ experienced at sewing and creating clothes, she couldn't for the life of her recognise what type of material this super suit was made from. It was stretchy - to accommodate for all the sharp, quick movements Ladybug did whilst in combat - yet strong and thick enough for it not to tear. It didn’t cause chaffing anywhere and even allowed for air to circulate easily so she wouldn’t die of heat, Marinette also appreciated the odd texture of the suit and how it glistened slightly when the light hit it just right.

Though the strangest thing by far was how Marinette didn’t even dress herself when she put her suit on, it magically created itself onto her skin and moulded to fit her slim figure easily. 

“Just shout ‘Spots on!’ and then _boom_  the suit is on!” Marinette recalled Tikki explaining excitedly, flying around Marinette’s bedroom in dramatic waves to express herself.

“But…how does it actually come _on?_ Is there like a zipper? Magical helpers to…I don’t know…button me up?” 

Marinette shuddered slightly at the thought of random hands touching her and helping her dress, even if they were magical.

“It’s _all_  magic!” Tikki threw her tiny arms into the air, letting out a few red sparks to accentuate her point.

Marinette knew Tikki meant well with her vague explanations, but Marinette had a hard time believing that her super hero suit would “magically” appear on her body. The whole concept of “magic is real” was also _just_  beginning to cement in her mind, it had been hard to believe in something that for so many people had told her it wasn’t real.

This mindset was quickly discarded when Marinette finally to shouted “Spots on!” in the privacy pf her bedroom and was close to passing out at the sight of a red body suit beginning to appear out of nowhere onto her skin. Though, the shock of how light the suit felt when it was on her nearly killed her.

“It feels like I’m naked!” Marinette cried when the suit had finished magically rolling onto her body.

“It’s just not heavy, nothing to worry about Marinette.” Tikki reassured the young girl who’s cheeks were turning a frightening shade of red from embarrassment. “It has to be light so then you can move easily.”

“But you can see _everything_ in this Tikki!” Marinette wailed, gripping the stretchy material of the suit, pulling it and letting it snap back to it’s original state. “If I eat too much, won’t everyone see?!”

“All the crime fighting you do will make your body healthy and fit, besides, you shouldn’t worry about silly things like your weight Marinette. If you think too much about all this you’ll only stress yourself even more.”

The kwami’s words of wisdom had yet to make Marinette feel empowered but because of these constant little enlightenments, Marinette was soon able to flash back and forth between her civilian clothes and her Ladybug suit. Even if it still felt a like she was naked.

 

* * *

 

Using the yo-yo proved to be even _more_  difficult to get accustomed to for Marinette. Tikki made it very clear that the yo-yo would be easy to grip onto despite how thin the wire was because “It’s like a magnet, pulling itself to you. So it’s pretty hard to lose it!” However, regardless of this logical explanation, Marinette still had trouble properly grasping onto the wire and getting her hands into the right position. 

“It’s not hurting, it just doesn’t feel…right.” Marinette confessed after practicing swinging back and forth from one low building to the other. “Maybe I’m not doing this right?”

“Every Ladybug is different! What you’re trying isn’t wrong, it’s just not right for _you_.” The kwami happily explained, though Marinette felt anything _but_  happy over how slow this learning process was proving to be. 

Marinette naively thought that the whole process of becoming “the miraculous Ladybug” would be a quick overnight process - everything else happened magically, so why not this? - and was paying for her lack of common sense with the annoying task of learning how to properly hold a wire so then she would _die_  in battle. The whole thought of _actually_  fighting bad guys had been all too present in her mind as of late, Marinette could hardly kill a bug let alone fight a villain. 

_Would I_ ever _be able to fight someone?_ She wondered nervously to herself.

An impatient cough brought Marinette back to Earth and back to the task at hand. With a nervous smile to Tikki and after changing her hand position for what felt like the millionth time, Marinette threw the yo-yo, aiming it to an air-conditioning duct at the top of one of the buildings, and swung. The feeling of the wind ruffling her fringe tickled her forehead, her skin felt refreshed inside the suit from the cool air, and miraculously, her hand was comfortably holding onto the wire of her yo-yo.

“Woohoo! Tikki look at me go!” Marinette excitedly shouted over the air rushing through her ears.

“Watch out!” Tikki yelled the warning just before the beginner superhero’s faceplanted into the wall, giving Marinette enough time to somewhat break her fall with her arms. 

A low _thud!_  resounded on Marinette’s impact, making her groan an “oof!” and drop to the ground rather ungracefully. The kwami was quick to fly down to check on the girl and when she showed no irreversible injuries - the super suit was obviously doing it’s job well - Tikki let out a loud sigh of relief.

“See you got the hang of it! Even if you did swing into the wall, at least now you know how to hold the yo-yo right! I’m so proud of you Mar-“ Tikki’s praises were cut short when a black shadow jumped down from the building opposite to the one Marinette crashed into, the kwami quickly magically zapped herself back into Marinette’s earrings before the unknown shadow touched the ground.

“Wow, that was some fall there!” The shadow spoke. But Marinette soon saw that it wasn’t a shadow at all, but a boy! “I mean cats always land on their feet so it’s not like you could help falling that hard!” 

Marinette stared up at the boy - still on the ground after her fall, her yo-yo unwound around her - and saw that he had bright green eyes that resembled a cats, shining through a black mask much like her own and on top of his bright blonde head were a pair of black cat ears to match. 

“Oh I get it now, you’re supposed to be a cat. It make sense since you're so full of yourself.” Marinette spoke calmly with a sarcastic edge to her voice, getting up from the ground and rolling her yo-yo back up. She usually never spoke to people like this, especially a stranger, her parents raised her to be polite to everyone she met or else she’d seem rude and untrustworthy. But this cat boy was easily getting on her nerves, e hand’t even offered her a hand to help her up, or even check to see if she was alright.

Marinette looked at the cat boy, taking him in. He was wearing a suit that was similar to her own, except that it was completely black, to add to the whole “cat look” he was sporting, the boy also had boots shaped like cats paws, gloves with claws built in and a long black belt that doubled as a cat’s tail. Marinette thought to herself that if _she_ had designed the outfit herself she, would’ve scrapped the paw-shaped boots completely because they made the boys feet look enormous, like a circus clowns feet.

“Full of myself! Listen lady I don’t know who you are but you’re talking to Paris’ newest crime fighting superhero so you should watch what you say!” The cat boy replied hotly, his face growing a light shade of pink from.

“You should watch what _you_  say kitty,” Marinette moved closer to the cat boy, pointing one red finger at him, “because this “lady” is _also_  a superhero and one who is _much better_  at fighting crime than you!” She didn’t know why she claimed she was better at crime fighting than the rude boy, she hadn’t even fought anyone yet, having no real proof of her skills. “So scamper off and be a good kitty cat before you get in my way.”

“You don’t have to be so defensive towards me lady.” Cat boy replied cooly, easing closer to Marinette. “I’m not such a paw-ful guy!” He spoke innocently, an angelic smile to match as if he didn’t just saw the worst pun to ever exist.

The pun itself caught Marinette off guard, making a small smile slip through and crushing any tough image she was putting on in front of the boy. 

_It wasn’t even that funny,_  she thought, _so why am I laughing?_

“My lady has a sense of humour! Oh well, in that case…” the boy theatrically coughed into his hand before he straightened himself up, “just wait for my other purr-fecf puns, I have some really claw-some ones!” 

_ Is this guy for real?! _

Marinette felt her lips twitch and her smile grow bigger and brought her hand up to cover her giggles. The puns weren’t what was so funny, it was how the boy _thought_  they were funny. His whole “tough boy” facade he had put on was beginning to crack and Marinette could see that he was just a young boy who said horrible jokes with such sincerity and honesty. He really was just a huge dork in a cat suit.

“My name’s not “my lady” by the way kitty!” Marinette retorted once her giggles settled, “It’s Ladybug and nothing else.” She put her hands on her hips, giving the boy a stern look to drill into his head that she wasn’t “his lady”, bad puns and giggles aside, Marinette didn’t need someone wasting her time when she had serious business.

“ _My_  name isn’t “kitty” either, but I like the nickname.” The cat boy then began to bow dramatically, sweeping one arm behind him and the other across his chest. “Chat Noir at your service… _my lady_.” He finished with a mischievous grin, his green eyes flicking up to Marinette’s in playful manner, as if daring her to play along with his game.

She didn’t correct Chat Noir this time for calling her “his lady”, she just gave him one last stern look before putting her hand out to shake with his. He seemed taken aback by the formal approach, but didn’t object when his hand slid into hers. The feeling of his gloved hand over her own was odd because she still had her super suit on so she couldn’t feel anything, but when their hands touched Marinette _felt_ …something. Not a “spark” or something cliche like that, it was the same feeling Marinette got when she first put the magical Ladybug earrings that Tikki had given her when _they_ first met.

“So...you’re a superhero too?”


	2. Works Like a Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brief cameo by none other than Chat Noir in this chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw // there's a minor fight scene, nothing gruesome though so dw
> 
> Sorry if you find typos, pls be nice and comment them so I can edit them out!  
> I really really need a beta!!

Unexplained bruises and mysterious scratches was yet another hurdle that Marinette had to jump over to continue living her new crime fighting life. The curious eyes of her parents combined with Alya - her best friend - were a frightening force when put together and Marinette felt robbed of the fact that the super suit was all magical and great, yet it didn’t _magically_ stop any injuries from appearing on her _exposed_ skin. 

“I’m sorry Marinette, but there’s no magical forcefield that’ll protect _all_ of you.” Tikki would painfully remind Marinette as she would nurse ice on her bruises. “You have to protect yourself in battle.”

Thankfully the injuries that Marinette did obtain on her exposed skin could be covered with light makeup or a scarf around her neck. Though nothing could hide the small hisses of pain she’d let out when she’d bump any of her injuries or was particularly sore that day.

“Hey Marinette are you alright?” Alya would question, concern creasing her brow as she did a once over of her friend. 

“O-oh it’s nothing! Just _that_ time of the month…haha!” Marinette awkwardly laughed, cursing her low tolerance to pain.

“Wasn’t _that_ last week though? I remember you saying it was-“ 

“Not _that_ time of the month…hahaha…it’s u-um…stock update week at the bakery!” Marinette stumbled over her lie, hoping she wouldn’t dig herself into too much of a hole before Alya would find her guilty. “So many boxes to unpack, so many _heavy_ boxes!”

Marinette soon found that this wouldn’t be the end of her lies that she’d have to tell about how her random injuries appeared. In the beginning they were simple, easy to overlook, but with more injuries and her parents and Alya - mostly Alya though - growing more and more suspicious, Marinette had to come up with less orthodox excuses.

“I accidentally pressed the pedal on my sewing machine too hard and the fabric I has holding zoomed through the machine and I smacked my head”

“It got a little rowdy at last night’s Pétanque game”

“You would not believe how crazy it gets at those mega sales at the fabric store!”

“Who knew that the ladder to my loft bed could get so slippery”

“An angry customer threw her money at me at the bakery, can you believe how rude people are these days?!”

As time passed Marinette found that lying was becoming easier, the excuses would roll off her tongue but the burning in her throat for not telling the truth was still inevitable. Eventually all of Marinette’s classmates thought she was the biggest klutz in Paris and though she was embarrassed by the inside joke, she couldn’t explain to them that she was getting these injuries because she was learning how to fight so the she could be a superhero and _protect_ Paris.

 

* * *

 

After another night of practicing with her yo-yo, Marinette was curled up at the top of one of the high-rises in city, staring down at the busy traffic of everyone coming home from their long days at work. 

_Does being a superhero count as work?_ She wondered to herself.

Marinette still had yet to fight her first bad guy since she was still learning the basics, sadly she couldn’t magically become a super fighter overnight. She had been learning with Tikki - who was surprisingly a very good teacher despite her small size - the basics of what she needed to do.

“Every Ladybug is different Marinette, you can’t forget that. You have to find what is comfortable for _you_ and how _you_ fight, it should come naturally.” Tikki had encouraged, though these little pep talks were becoming repetitive and Marinette blamed herself for how slow this learning process was being.

A loud scream and the sound of shattering glass dragged Marinette out of her reverie, making her body stiffen in her curled up position, ears pricking up and staying alert. Marinette quickly stood up and scanned he streets around her, there seemed to be no problem among all the people who were streaming past each other on the side walk and in their cars, yet an even louder scream pierced through the air making Marinette whip around to the other side of the high-rise.

She didn’t know how she knew, she didn’t even know if this was possible, but Marinette had…a feeling that the screams were coming from a few streets away, far from the busy traffic and more towards the small shops near the local cafés. Looking hesitantly to the building next to the one she was on, Marinette took a hesitant step forward, deciding that the distance was close enough for it to be safe for her to across jump. With a deep breath along with a whispered prayer, Marinette then leapt across the gap and landed - rather roughly - on top the roof of the building. A large smile stretched Marinette’s face as she felt a wave of courage wash over her from not falling and getting a face full of concrete.

_I can do this! I can do this!_  She repeated the mantra in her head as she swung and jumped from building to building, her landings getting more and more graceful as she continued her course to the sound of screaming.

When Marinette arrived at where she thought the screams were coming from she could see that in the deserted little street there was a pile of broken glass in front of jewellery store and a dim light from inside the otherwise dark store. Marinette swung down quietly, careful not to step on the glass - even if couldn’t harm her inside the suit - and made her way inside. 

Upon entering the store, Marinette found that a few of the glass cases that held the expensive jewels had been broken into and that glass was also scattered around the floor inside, not just on the sidewalk out front. 

“Burglar.” Marinette quietly muttered under her breath, careful not to make too much noise.

The light that she had seen from outside was now peeking underneath the cracks of a door at the back of the store labelled “STAFF”. She could hear a muffled voice from behind the door and readied herself with her yo-yo and repeated the “You can do it!” mantra in her head. Marinette quickly kicked the door open to find a young woman, maybe a bit older than Marinette herself, curled in the corner and from what she could see, the young woman’s wrists and ankles were tied with rope, and her mouth was taped over.

“Why are you-“ the question fell short on Marinette’s lips when she heard the crack of broken glass, as if someone had stepped on it.

Marinette hastily whipped her head around to the source of the noise and found that she was staring at the chest of a tall man completely clad in black from head to toe, with a burlap sack that seemed full in one hand and a crowbar in the other. If the man didn’t start swinging the crowbar at Marinette with questionable speed she would’ve stopped to think about how he looked like every stereotypical burglar to ever exist, but instead she ducked down and rolled through the burglars open legs.

With a strong kick to the burglars shins, the man was down in an instant, though as he hit the glass covered floor the burglar wrapped his black gloved hand and snatched Marinette’s ankle making her fall with him. Marinette was starting the feel the adrenaline pump through her as the fight continued, the two of them rolling on the ground and Marinette trying to wrestle the crowbar away from the burglars iron hold. 

“What an annoying _bug_ you are! I should’ve _exterminated_ you when your back was to me in the beginning!” The burglar angrily shouted.

A hard kick to the stomach with her knee made the man shut up quickly and his anger melted away and turned into pain. Tikki had been right when she said that her fighting skills would come naturally, Marinette felt like her skin was buzzing and her heart was thrumming in her chest a little _too_ fast for it to be safe. 

“What’s up with guys dressed all in black and _puns_?” Marinette groaned as she picked herself off the ground and made her way to the “STAFF” door at the back to help the young woman. 

Marinette soon learned that the man showed up just as the woman locked up the store and was heading home, breaking the glass and holding her as a hostage incase the police arrived early. She also said how she was surprised that not only was the police _late_ to come to her aid, but that a girl in a spotted costume came instead.

“My name’s Mari- I MEAN LADYBUG!” Marinette nervously scratched the back of her neck, thankful that she caught her mistake before her true identity slipped out.

“Well thank you Ladybug for saving me,” the young woman beamed at Marinette, “though I wish that we had some rope to tie _him_ up now!” She pointed to the burglar who was still on the ground clutching his stomach.

_Maybe I kicked him a little bit too hard? What was it that Tikki said about super strength again?_

Marinette’s face heated up in embarrassment because _she_ was the one to cut the rope that was tied around the young woman when she should’ve just _untied_ it and used it on the burglar. Her eyes scanned around the jewellery store to find something else to tie him with but had no luck, not only was the store in such a state of disarray, but she doubted that they had any strong, industrial rope lying around all the delicate jewellery.

“Psst Marinette!” A small voice whisper shouted from behind one of the non-smashed glass cases, her eyes drifted over to where her kwami was perched on the edge of the glass, her red skin standing out in the darkness.

“Tikki? Tikki!” Marinette rushed over to where her small friend was and hastily scooped her up into her hands, turning her back to the young woman as she began to call the police again. “What are you doing? What if _she_ or _he_ saw you?!”

“Oh they can’t see me, they’re too busy.” The kwami whispered back.

“Then why are you out here? The fight’s over.”

“Remember what I told you about your “Lucky Charm” power? Use that now.” Tikki whispered, pulling Marinette’s thoughts back to when Tikki had just begun teaching her about how magic was real and that she had some magical powers herself when she was in her Ladybug suit.

“But the fight’s _over_ , I don’t need a weapon.” 

“Not a weapon, a tool! Use your power for some rope and use “Miraculous Ladybug” to fix the shop back!” The kwami flew out of Marinette’s hands and flew around her head accentuate her advice. 

Within minutes of MArinette using her new powers, the burglar was tied up and ready for the police to arrest him and the jewellery store was returned to it’s original sparkling state. The young woman fiercely thanked her for her kindness and helping her clean the store, telling her that she can have anything in the store, free of charge.

“Oh no ma’am that’s not why I helped yo-“

“I know, but it’ll make me feel better if I can repay you _somehow_.” The young woman smiled warmly at Marinette and stepped the the side to allow Marinette to browse what they had. 

After deciding on a phone accessory - a black strap with a small ladybug charm hanging off it - and joking with the woman about how ironic it was that she’d choose this, Marinette was quickly swinging away to go home and sleep happily until she’d have to wake up for school the next day. The feeling of accomplishment was light in her chest and Marinette couldn’t recall a time when she felt so proud of herself. She’d been so worried about failing as a superhero and here she was swinging and jumping high above the city after her _first_ crimefighting experience that turned out to be a success!

_This isn’t as hard as I thought it’d be._  Marinette thought as she loomed closer to her home. _Maybe this whole superhero thing won’t be a total flop._


	3. Cookies Are a Kwami's Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Chat and we finally get to meet Adrien (briefly though I'm sorry bby boy)!! There's some more cat puns in here too but be warned...they're pretty bad...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw // anxiety, once again it's very minor but idk what's minor for some people and what isn't

The day after Marinette’s first crime fighting experience was filled with winces and hisses of pain from the intense fighting the night before. Her shoulders ached where she was slammed into the ground of the jewellery store, her hands and wrists were sore from how tightly she gripped her yo-yo string and Marinette soon found out she wasn’t being as discreet with her pain as she had thought.

“Hey Marinette,” she felt a hand placed onto her shoulder, “are you alright? You look like you’re in pain?”

And there stood Adrien. _The_ Adrien. The Adrien with the sandy hair and the grass green eyes that reminded Marinette of the beautiful meadows that were scattered in France’s countryside.

“W-w-what?!” Marinette practically shouted, feeling her cheeks warm from just being in the boy’s presence.

“You’ve been wincing all day? Do you want me to take you to the nurse’s office?” His voiced was laced with concern matching his creased brow.

_He’s so sweet! Asking if_ I’m _okay!_ Marinette’s inner thoughts were blooming with excitement and giddiness from the attention from her crush.

“Oh no no nO IT’S FINE!” Marinette’s voice escalated nervously, she still had trouble talking to Adrien, even if he was nothing but kind and casual towards her.

Adrien’s concerned face merged into one of confusion, the crease between his brows deepening in uncertainty. His lightly tanned hand came up to nervously scratch at the back of his neck, eyeing Marinette up before shrugging and turning away to continue with his work, giving her a soft smile before fully turning his head away.

To onlookers, Marinette probably looked like a constipated tomato from how harshly she was blushing and how she had she was retraining herself from giggling manically, but inside, Marinette felt the same revelation in her chest that she felt when she was rushing home after successfully defeating the jewellery store burglar.

 

* * *

 

“…in other news, a local vigilante going by the name of “Ladybug” rescued a local Parisian jewellery store owner and single handedly fought down the assailant who was later charged for attempted robbery and assault. Not much is known of the crime fighter other than their gender, name, and appearance. No footage was captured of the hero, but a sketch based from what both eye witnesses experienced will be compiled shortly by the police’s very own sketch artist. I’m-“

Marinette hastily turned off her phone and threw it haphazardly onto her bed, pulling her knees up to her chest, her eyes wide and afraid. She knew that being a superhero meant that people would know about her, she even toyed with the thought of being on television, however, after watching the short news report clip on her phone, Marinette felt the weight of reality strike her. 

“This is all too… much.” She mumbled into her knees, hunching her back into a slouched position.

“Oh Marinette you’re going to be famous!” Tikki whizzed around Marinette’s slouched figure excitedly, red sparks of magic trailing behind her small spotted figure, not noticing her friend’s upset state.

“I don’t know about being famous Tikki, but at least I’ll be…known.” Marinette drew in a deep breath, untangling her arms from her legs and falling limply onto her back, letting her heavy body seep into her mattress. “I need some fresh air, is it alright if I change into Ladybug real quick?”

The idea of changing into her superhero alter-ego for non-crime fighting purposes without asking Tikki for permission still felt foreign. She was supposed to be using the kwami’s magic for the greater good, not to calm down her anxiety. Though super suit continued to make Marinette feel exposed, the need to be out of her room and away from the bustle of society was a luxury she _only_ received from the suit. As Ladybug, Marinette could hide in the shadows of tall buildings, stay unnoticed by the public and remain undisturbed. As Marinette, she had a curfew and the small confines of her bedroom where her parents could come up at any moment.

“You don’t have to ask for permission Marinette,” the kwami reassured, “it’s _your_ magic too! Just bring something for me to eat, no power is limitless, I’ll need to charge up at some point.”

Marinette nodded knowingly at the small magical being and quickly scanned her room for anything the kwami could eat. She rarely ever kept food in her room since it was always a pain to bring the plates downstairs so they wouldn’t pile up. On this occasion though, Marinette’s mother had brought up a plate of cookies that were left over from he bakery, they were leftover from the batch that wasn’t sold the day before. 

“Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie” prided itself on it’s freshly baked goods and never sold bread that was a day old and instead gave away the extra bread to homeless shelters and/or their friends. This meant that whenever Alya would come around to study or just hang out at Marinette’s house, Marinette’s parents would always offer for her to take treats home for her siblings and no one can say “no” to free pastries!

Lifting the small plate piled with chocolate chip cookies, Marinette asked “Will cookies be all right?” over her shoulder to Tikki.

 

* * *

 

“I saw you were on TV today bugaboo! How does it feel being famous?” The mocking lilt in Chat Noir’s voice was heavy and Marinette knew that if she turned around to face the boy, a mischievous smile would be spread across his face, egging her to indulge in his banter.

When Marinette had thought of a place to escape the budding weight of anxiety in her chest, she decided on the rooftop of the high-rise building she was on a few nights prior. That way, she could be in her own little bubble again, away from the city, but still be connected to reality. She had been sitting on the buildings edge, her red super suit clad legs dangling, when the notorious cat boy showed up out of the blue.

“Honestly,” Marinette let out a short shaky breath, “not too great.”

The boy’s playful demeanour instantly slipped away and he fell silent, slowly sliding down next to Marinette and allowing for there to be enough space between them so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. His own legs dangled off the building’s edge and Marinette smiled inwardly at how big his cat boots were, the size was practically comical that she doubted he was serious about them.

“What? No puns?” Marinette’s eyes were still downcast, but her voice held a sad sort of humour made even her own heart softly ache.

“Not today my lady, what’s got you down?” The sincerity in Chat’s voice surprised Marinette and she felt like she’d heard it somewhere before, everyone was asking her if she was alright nowadays, it was hard to pinpoint an exact face.

Marinette didn’t say anything at first, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound dumb or wouldn’t communicate how she _really_ was feeling. The two superheroes just sat in silence, their minds rolling around in their skulls, mulling over things to say and what not to say. It’s always hard to console a stranger.

“I’m not outgoing…w-when I’m not in my suit.” Chat broke the silence at last, his voice low and distant as if recalling an old memory. “I’m not shy, my job doesn’t allow that, b-but I can’t really express myself how I want to. My dad…he’s pretty strict in how I should act so I’m always pretty quiet.” His gloved hands are limp in his lap and his foot is tapping lightly against the concrete wall of the high-rise. “When I change into Chat Noir, I’m loud, I make jokes and I slouch. My hair is unruly, my words aren’t filtered, I act like the type of person I _want_ to be.”

The sound of the traffic down below them was non-existent at this point and Marinette was hyper aware of how she and Chat seemed to subconsciously scoot closer to one another until their sides were pressed together, the contrast of her red suit and his black one contrasted under the soft light of the late afternoon sun.

“I know changing yourself isn’t the best option, you _always_ have to stay true to _you_ , but isn’t that why they call it an _alter_ -ego?” His voice is softer, laced with compassion and understanding. Marinette still hadn’t said a word about what was troubling her, yet here Chat Noir was, reading her mind and helping her through the dark.

Words still failed Marinette, she felt that the “moment” they were sharing would be broken with her shattered voice, so instead she gently rested her head on Chat’s shoulder and closed her eyes thinking about how thankful she was to have a friend like Chat.

“Boy, that sure was a purr-gressive chat!” And he was back. Back to his horrible puns and dorky self. 

Marinette held back a groan at how horrible that particular cat pun was and decided to retaliate with one of her own.

“How did I paw-sibly ever end up with a fur-end like _you_?” The mocking tone in her voice was strong and she felt Chat’s shoulders shake with laughter under her cheek.

“That was awful Ladybug!” He choked out, his need for laughing coming before the need to breathe.

“Don’t you mean _paw_ -ful?!” Marinette straightened and pulled herself up and away from Chat’s shoulder and looked down at the laughing idiot who was now lying the ground, struggling to breathe through his giggles.

“My lady has a sense of humour! Cat-tastic!” Chat sprang up excitedly and gazed down at his friend with a sparkle in his eyes that even _he_ was unsure what it meant. To finally have a friend he could confide his insecurities with, someone whom he could share his struggles of being a normal civilian _and_ a superhero and understand what it meant to struggle between both.

Neither of them knew it, but on that high-rise rooftop, with the traffic travelling madly below them and the sun beginning it’s decent below the horizon, a bond was made between the two young superheroes. This would help them in battles later on, help _themselves_ , and together they’d be able to protect Paris.


End file.
